Has anyone come across any good articles about current Traktor DJs setup such as the likes of, Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Umek, Dennis Ferrer, Pete Tong, Dub Fire or anybody else. I have seen videos of Richie’s setup from a few years ago, but I think he has changed up a bit since than but it has me curious to know he is using now and how. This is same I feel about other big named djs too, I want to see what they’re using and how. Currently all I can find are or videos from performances, but they use quick cut aways, so its hard to tell whats they’re using. So it had me thinking is there anything else to fill my curiously on Pro DJ Setups using Traktor.
there no specific place (i think) where they talk about it. You need to search around and watch youtube video/ dj forum or even someone in your town who dj. There no school for this you have to be pro-active and go get your information.
Dj setup is always evolving with all the new gadget and integrate stuff like Ipad. Pioneer time is over. NOW we take the freedom to choose our on way to express ourself
I hear you, Im no spring chicken to DJing or Traktor. I has been DJing for 20 years, been digital for the past 5-6 years and on Traktor for the past 2years. Unfortunately, amongst my dj friends I seem to be the guru when it comes to this digital age, so Im trying to learn more. I figured I should look at what the pros are uses to give me more ideas.
there is a future music video with RH’s Plastikman setup…
Cox is using NI Machine to control efx and for searching thru tracks etc. He uses time coded CDs and a Vestax mixer(sometimes his personally designed mixer, but he also uses another Vestax mixer as well).
alot of the DJ’s you have mentioned, from what i have heard/seen now use the S4… Dubfire im certain… saw him playing with it but a few months ago when he was here… so does dennis ferrer… richie hawtin im pretty sure is using some kind of whacked out live setup… most likely based around ableton… but it looks like a freakin spaceship… Carl cox is using traktor… not sure about if hes using the s4… umek i believe is using some kind of live setup aswel (last i heard)… and pete tong… hes rockin traktor aswel… (not sure bout s4 but)
I also know booka shade are using the S4 in combination with Maschine when doing there DJ sets… using Maschine for samples/loops and adding live elements to the set without having their whole live setup there…
I just found the thing with Carl Cox and his Mashine setup.
Before Carl Cox’s gig at Space, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Carl in his office for a Traktor Scratch Pro training session. For a while, Carl Cox was using my Maschine MIDI mapping for Traktor Scratch Pro. It appeared that one of his buddies (not mentioning any names eh hem) happened to screw up his MIDI settings, so Carl Switched to using the Traktor Kontrol X1’s. When I visited Carl he wanted me to set him back up with my Maschine settings. I ended up having to modify about 100 of my MIDI commands in the mapping on the fly right before his gig! I double and triple checked every button to make sure they all worked ok, and then Carl went on. I was crossing my fingers! Everything went perfectly all night. I asked how it was going during his gig and he looked at me and smiled and said “I’M BACK!”
This has been my setup since about Feb 2010. Before that I was using the Xone 1D in place of my X1’s for roughly 2 years. I like the way the S4 software looks, just not interested in the Hardware that goes with it. I like using a full size mixer and i really like the Xone 92, so I am not looking to switch out from that. I am looking forward to when the S4 software is made available for use with other controllers. I would also like the ability to maybe use some VST effects n my sets without setting up a second computer to run ableton. I think making it so people could make their own effects or something to that nature would be pretty cool, hopefully one day. I have experimented in the past using guitar pedal effects, routing traktor into that before the mixer and that was pretty cool but i began to lose interest in its novelty and i was worried i was using it a little too much, but it was fun.
In my past simple CDJ setups i was using the guitar pedals along with a Cylooper (now called a PVDJ Grabber). But now with all the software this stuff is basically all inside traktor, and its a lot easier to graba loop in Traktor, because it actualy grabs a perfect loop, as opposed to teh Cylooper where you had to grab a perfect loop on your own… Thank god for technolody!
Why no controller tho?
I know you have the X1’s…but i suppose it depends on how you like to play your music.
Also…you travel etc…`so i guess it makes sense.
We have the Xone 92 at Beartrap…but I have not used it with my setup…just plugged into one of its channels. Used it plenty with CDJ’s tho…not Traktor.
Why do you like it? I know the build is killer and the 4 way EQ etc.
But what other aspects do you use with it?
Or is it just the 4 channel and reliable?
Just keen to know more about its use. I don’t get to play with it at home..
Sound quality is great. Plus I notice that all my mixes seem to be very fluid with A&H mixers. That may just be my personal taste, but I think its why others like this mixer also.
Not to many on board effects, one of the reasons I hate the Pioneers… Pioneer mixer just have unnecessary extra efx that I don’t need since i have them in traktor already. All the 92 has id some lo/hi pass filters. I use those sometimes.
The build quality is very nice. The whole feel of the mixer is just all around solid, again just making the mixing and such feel better and i turn sound better (for me!). One thing I always notice about Pioneer mixers is they break pretty easily as far as the faders and buttons go. I was at a gig a week ago and thankfully i didn’t have to play on the mixer everyone else was using, they brought in a 92 for me, but on the DJM800 that everyone else was using one of the efx buttons was stuck on, and the EQ meter on the first channel was dead.
So for those reasons I choose to use the 92, and no other mixer (I will use a 62 as well if a 92 is not available). When I have toured with Cox I used his mixer which is a Vestax. Its a nice mixer also.
Why don’t i use a controller as a mixer? Its basically for some of the same reasons listed above. Mainly its just the overall feel I get from the mixer, as well as I still feel as if I am not 100% locked into the computer, but I am also using stuff that is not part of all the computer stuff…
Hope that all makes sense. Of course its all just personal preference. I am never opposed to trying new things!
92 has 4band eq vs 3 band eq on the 42, two filters instead of one, two send/returns instead of one + two dedicated microphone channels with full 4 band eq (which are often used to route extra stuff in other than than microphones). That is of course a non-exhaustive list
I like it too…and seeing as the one I have played on is about 4 seasons old already. Gets used at Outdoor parties…in dust and rain…and its STILL the shit.
It gets serviced often etc…but as you say…good sound…good build and is not too cluttered.
As I use Traktor…i also have no need for FX on a mixer. We now have the DJM800…but i have not used it yet. I usually just use the VCI…but now am using the APC40.
But i think what it comes down to, is solid sound…solid build.
Its pretty simple, nothing crazy